Entries for October 2007

An international group of scientists from Vrije Universiteit and Wageningen University has calculated and modeled the potential effects of the exploitation of peatsoils on the greenhouse gas balance for Northern peatlands. In the new scientific publication in PNAS ‘The uncertain climate footprint of wetlands under human pressure’, they conclude that rewetting of drained peatsoils not only rapidly reduces emissions from drained peatlands but also on the longer term turns them into effective net greenhouse gas sinks. The wise use of peatsoils is essential in combating climate change.

By Marie-Jose Vervest - What is the best approach to restore and protect a coastline that was hit by a Tsunami? Driven by my own involvement in mangrove restoration after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and ‘Building with Nature’ approaches with Wetlands International, I attended the event ‘Global approaches to coastal resilience’ organized by READY Asia-Pacific at the WCDRR in Sendai. In this session coastal protection measures after the March 11th 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan were discussed.

The Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction 205-2030 has been agreed at 10pm in Japan with a central role for ecosystem degradation as a root cause of increased risk and for ecosystem based approaches as key solutions for reduced risk; overview of statements from global leaders and practitioners in Sendai pointing to the important role environment and healthy ecosystems can play in reducing disaster risk.

By Julio Montes de Oca Lugo, Wetlands International Panama - What are some of the “ingredients” that would make a “recipe for resilience”? Wetlands International and its programme partners in the coalition Partners for Resilience (CARE, Cordaid, Netherlands Red Cross and Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre) explored this very question during a side event entitled “Sharing experiences for an integrated DRR approach”, at the Sendai World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) last Sunday.

By Ritesh Kumar, Wetlands International South Asia - At the session on ‘Economic aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction’at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai on 16 March, the JICA Vice President, Mr. Kiyushi Kodera indicated that over 85% of ODI related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was still ex-post, for relief and reconstruction. This is taking place despite the proven effectiveness of investment in DRR and community resilience.

As HFA2 negotiations continue, governments, private sector and practitioners commit to advance ecosystem disaster risk reduction at the Third World Conference on DRR.

Sendai, Japan - As negotiations for the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (Hyogo Framework for Action 2 - HFA2) continue, global leaders and practitioners are pointing to the important role environment and healthy ecosystems can play in reducing disaster risk.

About 80% of the text for a post-2015 framework on Disaster Risk Reduction is agreed, we are making progress; The Netherlands, France, Philippines, Vietnam, Colombia and Japan explore the idea to form an Alliance of Delta countries for more cooperation between countries on prevention and reduction of water related disasters in deltas.

Little progress on HFAII – 6 targets agreed and now starting with the difficult issues; Focus on the role of addressing mismanagement of water resources as 95% of disasters are water-related; Invite to tomorrow’s event: Preventive action in water-related DRR, building an international coalition for integrated delta management and resilience.

By Fred Pearce - In October 2013, one of the fiercest cyclones to hit the Bay of Bengal for many years made landfall on the low-lying delta coast of the Indian state of Odisha. With winds battering the coastline at more than 200 kilometres per hour, the structural damage from cyclone Phailin was intense. Thousands of straw, timber and bamboo homes were destroyed across the delta of the River Mahanadi, one of India’s largest deltas. Trees were uprooted, cars upturned and power lines broken across the delta as high winds were accompanied by a three-metre storm surge.

By Fred Pearce - The Inner Niger Delta in central Mali is a giant green oasis on the edge of the Sahara desert. It is one of the country’s most productive areas, but also among its poorest. At the height of the wet season, when the River Niger is swollen by heavy rainfall in Guinea, an area the size of Belgium, from Mopti to Tombouctou, turns into a landscape of lakes.

Wetlands International submitted three voluntary commitments to reducing disaster risk for the next 5-10 years to UNISDR. Voluntary commitments from organisations like Wetlands International and individuals are seen as an essential compliment to legal obligations for protecting lives, livelihoods, assets and the environment and will be one cornerstone of implementation of the post 2015 framework for disaster risk reduction.

Sendai, Japan - Tackling disasters such as floods and droughts should focus much more on the sustainable use and restoration of ecosystems such as wetlands, states NGO Wetlands International in the run-up to the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction where governments will conclude a new treaty for the next 20 to 30 years from 14-18 March in Sendai, Japan.

By Fred Pearce - As demand for water grows in river basins, downstream users often suffer. This is especially true when those users depend on rivers and natural wetlands, which many still regard as “wasted” water. That is the case on the river Ewaso Ngiro in Kenya, which drains from the glaciers of Mount Kenya through the heavily populated agricultural region of Laikipia in central Kenya, to the Lorian Swamp in the arid northeast.

By Fred Pearce - Deforestation on the uplands of Philippine islands has been causing soil loss, landslides and flooding downstream for decades. On Mindanao, the country’s second largest island, Wetlands International and its partners are attempting to help communities in harm’s way to revitalise their ecosystems and their safety. The focus of attention is the River Agusan, the Philippines’ third longest river, which drains the island’s northeast highlands.

By Marisol Estrella, UNEP - Starting this week at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, the international community is expected to approve the next ten year plan to strengthen the resilience of countries and communities against disasters. The task at hand is a critically important one, particularly as the number of people affected by disasters has already doubled over the past decade and is expected to further increase.

Environmental degradation in coastal, river basin and mountain areas increases the risk of disaster. Wetlands International will be represented at the Third UN World Conference on Reducing Disaster Risk (WCDRR) in Sendai and will keep you posted through a series of posts on developments in Sendai and on the urgent need to safeguard and restore wetland ecosystems as a key strategy to address water security challenges.

8 March: International Women's Day. Wetlands International honours all women working to sustainably manage and conserve wetlands! On 19 March 2015, CEO Wetlands International Jane Madgwick will speak at the upcoming event: 'Closing the gender gap in farming under climate change: New knowledge for renewed action', organised by CCAFS and CGIAR in collaboration with Future Earth, and the International Social Science Council (ISSC).The event will be live webcasted!

3 March, Jakarta - The Indonesian and Dutch government today launch a comprehensive five-year multi million public-private partnership initiative for enhancing coastal safety at the North Coast of Java. It aims to build stable coastlines with reduced erosion risk through a unique integration of mangrove restoration, small scale hard-engineering and sustainable land use.

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the biggest pulp and paper company in Indonesia, celebrates its 2-year anniversary of its Forest Conservation Plan today. APP has eliminated the use of natural forest fiber in its entire supply chain and halted new activities on peatlands. However,analysis shows that the company struggles with its commitment to adopt Best Management Practices in its existing plantations and in peat swamp forests to avoid GHG emissions.

The Hague, 4 February 2015 – The WASH IT! alliance was delighted to learn that it was selected as one of 25 strategic partners of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2016-2020.

Throughout history wetlands have been integral to human survival and development. How? Simple: Wetlands[i] are life – food, water, fibre. We depend on them – people, business and nature. Yet they are highly threatened. Globally the world has lost more than 54%[ii] of its wetlands and this loss has accelerated by four times in the last 70 years[iii]. People and businesses impact wetlands, creating problems of water scarcity, excessive floods and pollution. So what does this mean for our future?

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Ramar Convention and Wetlands International invite government-nominated representatives and all interested participants in the African region to participate in a webinar on biodiversity and soil carbon on 12 February 2015. With this capacity building workshop we aim to build knowledge and expand the understanding of policy and scientific issues related to reducing carbon emissions from wet and dry soils.

The free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Disasters and Ecosystems: Resilience in a Changing Climate went live on 12 January. More than 7,500 people have enrolled from 183 countries to learn more about this hot topic in disaster resilience! Wetlands International will be Expert of the Week between 9 and 11 February, sharing our expertise on putting ecosystem based disaster risk reduction into practice. People can still enroll at no costs.

This paper presents the results of our sixth annual horizon scan, which aims to identify phenomena that may have substantial effects on the global environment, but are not widely known or well understood. A group of professional horizon scanners, researchers, practitioners, and a journalist identified 15 topics via an iterative, Delphi-like process.
Wetlands International was part of the horizon scanning team.

Coastal belts of mangroves contribute to security by reducing the impacts of severe storms and cyclones, provide food and building materials, and are essential habitats for a large number of animal species, in particular several commercially important fish species. Listen to a radio interview with Wetlands International in French on mangroves, fisheries, coastal defence and aquaculture on La Voix de l'Amérique

By Fred Pearce. Timing is everything. And Michael Hobbes, an old aid hand and human rights consultant, got the timing spot on with his recent blog at The New Republic on how “big ideas are destroying international development”.

By Susanna Tol - Also in the world of climate change, organic is the way to go. I am not writing about organic food here, despite my personal interest in the topic, but about peatlands, which are soils with a substantial layer of organic matter at or near the surface. Well, they are the way to go for the climate as long as you treat them well. If not, they become a vigorous source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Back in 2002, Wetlands International together with local partners and communities in Jambi, South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan, brought international attention to the disproportionally high Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from peatlands in Indonesia. We have shown that emissions cease when blocking the drainage canals so peatlands become wet again. We did not think that it would take more than ten years for Indonesian Government to actually replicate what we did back then but are very happy this seems to change.

Mumtadar called from the pond where he was setting nets. Life was good since they planted the mangroves along the dyke, he said. He caught more fish in his pond, and they grew bigger and quicker.
by Fred Pearce

“The wave was higher than the trees. The sea came right over the village. Every building was destroyed, including all 300 houses. About 180 people were killed, more than half the population. The only people who survived were those who ran for the hills.” That’s how they tell it in the cafe at the entrance to Keude Unga on Aceh’s west coast, which took the full brunt of the tsunami.
by Fred Pearce

Layeun is famous among the tsunami villages of Aceh. Bill Clinton came here earlier this year and brought the media. He called for new help to rebuild the lives of the fishing community whose homes disappeared beneath the waves during the tsunami.

Precisely 256 people were living in Gampong Baro on the day the tsunami hit. Just under half of them died. Just 24 bodies were found, while 97 are registered forever “missing”. Their names and ages are all listed on a stone memorial in the heart of the village.

Azhar, leader of Lham Ujong, is a proud man. Proud of the pictures in his album of him shaking hands with dignitaries bringing aid money to the village. Proud of his Olympic torch, which he helped take round Jakarta in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics of 2008 – a privilege he was nominated for by Wetlands International. And proud especially of the trees planted in huge numbers round his village in the aftermath of the tsunami.

The tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004 obliterated vast areas of Aceh province. But villagers there are using an innovative microcredit scheme to restore mangrove forests and other coastal ecosystems that will serve as a natural barrier against future killer waves and storms.By Fred Pearce

11 December 2014, Manila - Only one year after the deadly Typhoon Haiyan, which left behind over 6,000 casualties, Typhoon Hagupit has taken at least 20 lives before being downgraded to a tropical depression.

Lima, Peru – IUCN, Conservation International and Wetlands International presented a new guidebook to financing wetland carbon programs and projects during the climate conference in Lima last weekend. It will help project and program developers through the maze of financing mechanisms and options out there.

In response to the recent H5N8 outbreaks and speculation about the role of wild birds, the UN Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds (of which Wetlands International is a member) released a statement to inform stakeholders about the potential interaction between wild birds and H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus and appropriate ways of taking action. The statement highlights the need to protect wild birds and wetland areas as part of disease control measures. View the statement.

Much more attention is needed for greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands at the climate negotiations, according to Wetlands International. We will therefore put the spotlights on these carbon rich ecosystems at the Climate Conference in Lima, Peru next week, with the aim to get strong incentives for peatland conservation and restoration in a new climate agreement to be adopted in Paris next year.

Wetlands International is pleased to invite you for an evening reception in the European Parliament on 10 December 2014, hosted by Mr Ricardo Serrão Santos, Member of the European Parliament. The event will bring together Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and practitioners in Disaster Risk Reduction and development.

Some 210 million people live in low elevation areas within 10 km of mangroves and many of these directly benefit from mangrove-associated fisheries. Yet, these people are often unaware of the key role mangroves may play, especially if the associated fisheries are offshore.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Five of the world’s leading consumer goods manufacturers and retailers today announce their support to drive the transformation of their sector towards responsible palm oil production and sourcing.

The International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International, is one of the world's largest and longest-running monitoring programmes. Over the years the census has provided key information to support the conservation of waterbird populations and the habitats upon which they depend. In September 2014, Wetlands International members and stakeholders met to review our recent progress and look ahead for to the future of the programme.

What are the next steps for RSPO and its members in relation to palm oil and peatlands? 2013 was an important year with new Principles & Criteria (P&C ) adopted to address ‘peatsoil subsidence’ and ‘greenhouse gases’, both resulting from peatland drainage for palm oil plantations. Now the challenge is to get these P&C’s applied and monitored successfully, and to even go some steps further and turn the RSPO into the frontrunner for the entire sector. Wetlands International participates in the 12th roundtable to raise further awareness on peatlands, particularly on ‘peat soils subsidence’ and to provide input and guidance for next steps for the RSPO and its members.

Zoological Society of London, United Kingdom, 6 November, 2014: A new guidebook on mangroves as a coastal defence finds that mangroves can reduce risk from a large number of coastal hazards. The role of mangroves in coastal defence has been widely promoted since the tsunami that struck South-East Asia in 2004. Yet, the level of protection provided by mangroves has been subject to debate.

The Dutch Soy Coalition (formed by eight development and environmental organisations*) finds that in 2013, only a quarter of the 2.4 metric tons of soy used in the Netherlands is responsibly produced. The social or environmental consequences of the production of the other three quarters of the imported soy, are not at all clear or accounted for. The target of the Netherlands is to purchase 100 percent responsible soy by 2015. This will be almost impossible to achieve now.

- Solutions for responsible agro-commodity governance -

Date: 30 October, Venue: Glazen Zaal in The Hague. IUCN Netherlands, Wetlands International and Both Ends, allied in the Ecosystems Alliance, invite you to meet on 30 October with civil society representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and the Netherlands. Through their knowledge and experience, civil society organizations in soy and palm oil exporting countries have an important contribution to make to Dutch and EU sustainability goals, including the recent commitment to reach zero-deforestation in 2030.

Great article in Dutch newspaper 'De Volkskrant' about our pilot project in Northern Java where we are using a 'Building with Nature' approach to restore the severely eroded shoreline. This is a problem that occurs along most of the coastline in Java threatening over 30 million people in the long term. The pilot has very promising results as the title also suggests; translated 'mushy porridge turns into solid coast'.

An unprecedented large group of governments, companies, NGOs and indigenous peoples groups called for action to protect and restore the world’s forests. In a declaration launched at this week’s UN climate talks in New York, targets are set to stop deforestation, support sustainable alternatives and restore forests. This should lead to a cut in carbon emissions to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. Wetlands International endorses the Forest Declaration to send a message to world leaders to support a climate agreement in Paris in 2016 and take forests and land use into account.

Last week, I visited Indonesia together with Femke Tonneijck from Wetlands International to meet our partners that are involved in the development of a Building with Nature approach to solve the severe erosion along the muddy Northern coast of Central Java (Demak district).

Rotterdam, the Netherlands – To commemorate 60 years of Wetlands International and its predecessors on Monday 22 September Wetlands International co-hosted a global stakeholder forum at the World Trade Center Rotterdam, together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment of the Netherlands. This was followed by an awards reception and a meeting of the Member Delegates and Board of Association.

Wetlands International awarded the Staff Medal of Excellence to two individuals on Monday. Daniel Blanco of Argentina and Ritesh Kumar of India are recognised for special achievement amongst Wetlands International’s global staff.

Wetlands International awarded the Luc Hoffmann Medal for Excellence in Wetland Science and Conservation to two individuals on Monday. Dr. W.J. Wolff of the Netherlands won the medal in the category of Scientific Research. Ms. Ikal Angelei of Kenya won the medal in the category of Communication, Education and Public Awareness.

In the new book “Downstream Voices” commissioned by Wetlands International, Fred Pearce takes you along his journey to three large river basins in India, Mali and Senegal where Wetlands International improves water resource management and the condition of wetlands to make communities more resilient to extreme weather events and impacts from climate change.

On 21 – 23 September 2014, Wetlands International will celebrate its work and achievements over the past 60 years in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. A ‘Wetland Solutions for water, people and nature’ event will exchange ideas on how to increase the impact of wetland solutions. This will be followed by a meeting of the Member Delegates and Board of Association.

Wetlands International invites you to three inspiring workshops on improving water resource and wetland management for more resilient deltas at the conference Deltas in Times of Climate Change II, which will take place in Rotterdam in the Netherlands from 24-26 September.

“The natural flow of water in the Parana Delta is altering,” tells a local farmer. “We know this is caused by the increasing amount of infrastructure for the conversion of the Parana Delta wetlands into soy plantations. There is evidence that as a result, communities are no longer protected during the regular floods that occur in the Delta.” He is eager to find solutions for this problem affecting the region as well as adjacent territories.

We deeply regret to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Andres Kuresoo passed away at his home on 2nd September. Andres was a pivotal figure in waterbird and wetland conservation. He was the Estonian national coordinator of the International Waterbird Census for many years and also a Member Delegate of his country to Wetlands International.

Currently, drained peatlands for agriculture and forestry are the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use sector. Join over 120 colleagues working on peatlands and climate change mitigation from all over the world, and enrol now for the webinar 'Challenges and Solutions for Responsible Peatlands Management', organised by FAO, through the web form.

Thanks to an active and laborious fire-fighting operation the recent peat and forest fires in Tver Province were localised and the region was saved from events becoming as dramatic as in 2010 when dense smoke haze covered the city of Moscow for weeks. Still, the region’s economy and ecology again suffered severely from the fires, as well as the climate.

Wetlands International argues that restoration of degraded and abandoned peatlands, is one of the key solutions to avoid often reoccurring dry weather related fire events, and to reduce the release of huge amounts of peat-related carbon emissions.

RSPO members are responsible for 60% of global palm oil production. With such a large and growing responsibility, the RSPO must push on to create a level playing field for sustainable palm oil, argues Marcel Silvius.

On invitation of the Philippine government, the Dutch Risk Reduction (DRR)-team visited Manilla and Tacloban early July to assess the possibilities to protect the coastline in and around Tacloban by creating hard engineering works, planting mangrove trees and reclaiming land. The coordinator of Wetlands International in Philippines was part of this team.
News from http://www.dutchwatersector.com/.

Despite the long history of abuse, Senegal’s Ndiaël Avifauna Special Reserve remains important, with a huge potential for restoration to benefit both people and nature, and that’s why Wetlands International and our partners have committed to the rewetting of the Reserve for the past five years.

Ten years after the major tsunami hit Aceh, Indonesia in 2004, President Clinton visited the village of Layeun to find out what more can be done to support their recovery. While some areas are recovering, other communities are still on the edge of poverty. During the visit Wetlands International announced a new commitment to support and empower the villagers by restoring the local environment and working with the community to diversify their livelihoods for sustainable income generation. This initiative will build on our Green Coast project that restored coastal ecosystems after the tsunami.

June is the end of the hot and dry season in Senegal. More auspiciously, it is peak mango season. As I drove north from the capital of Dakar with a team from the Wetlands International Africa office, mango sellers blanketed the roadside selling the best mangoes I’d ever tasted.

Mbarara – On Friday 11 July 2014, Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment made a commitment to work towards the provision of safe and adequate drinking water. The High Level Event, consisting of Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment, local organisations, international NGOs and donors, focused on the creation of an action plan to scale-up efforts to provide safe and clean drinking water across the country.

The world’s increasing demand for palm oil and pulp wood for paper production attracts the private sector to invest more and more in these businesses in Indonesia and Malaysia. But are banks, the creditors of these businesses, aware of the risks of their investments in palm oil and pulp wood plantations when these are developed on peatlands?

Today, an international network of more than one hundred twenty organizations on five continents is unveiling a powerful new Global Paper Vision that will unite the myriad of voices currently challenging the paper industry to adopt more sustainable practices.

Brussels. European Union energy ministers decided not to account for the real greenhouse gas emissions caused by biofuels used for transport in the EU. In a political agreement reached today, ministers refused to reflect indirect land-use change (ILUC) in GHG accounting and subsidy schemes for biofuels.

Park Directors from Mauritania, Senegal and Russia signed an agreement committing them to work together for the sustainable management of migratory waterbirds in critical wetlands within the three countries that are connected by the East-Atlantic Flyway. The agreement was the result of Wetlands International’s ‘From the Arctic to Africa’ initiative to protect waterbirds flying between Africa and the Arctic. The signing took place at a flyway exchange programme that brought representatives from Mauritania and Senegal to the Arctic.

By Jan Heinrich, Wetlands International and Hernán de Arriba, ProYungas.

- With the theme ‘Thinking Outside the Box’, the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Round Table (RT9) on Responsible Soy (RTRS) in Brazil from 7-8 May, aimed to capture ideas on how to introduce innovation to the world of responsible soy. Supporting this vibe, ProYungas and Wetlands International presented the Socio-Environmental Observatory on Soy (OSAS), the first database that systematically monitors the expansion and social and environmental impacts of soy in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil.[1]

The Panamanian delegation and Wetlands International call for ecosystem conservation in Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the Americas (RP14), held last week in Ecuador, concluded with little attention for one of the root causes of increased disaster risk: Environmental degradation. Ecosystems, such as wetlands, in a healthy state provide many benefits and play a key role in disaster risk reduction (DRR). Nevertheless, they received few mentions during the entire platform of three days, and in the final Communiqué their role is limited as a topic to be addressed in cases of transboundary risk management.

Wetlands should be better managed and restored for their ability to reduce disaster risk, says Wetlands International. To stimulate this, the post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (the Hyogo Framework for Action, to be adopted in 2015 in Japan), should pay increased attention to the key role of wetlands to reduce disaster risk and the need for integrated water resources and wetlands management. Wetlands International delivers this call at the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction of the Americas in Guayaquil, Ecuador from 26-29 May.

Zaragoza. Experts from Spain and Portugal discussed how to restore rivers and manage landscapes to reduce flooding risks and impacts. At the same event prizes were awarded to the best short stories, poems and pictures about rivers.

Wetlands are vital storehouses of biodiversity and important bulwarks against the effects of climate change, while also providing livelihoods for millions of people, but they’re being lost at an increasing rate. Geographical Magazine's Mark Rowe reports.

The giant Majnoon Oil field in Southern Iraq overlaps with the country’s most important wetland area, the Mesopotamian Marshlands. Decreasing water availability is a constraint here for both the marshes and the oil industry in this dry country. Despite years of warfare and large-scale drainage, there is suddenly new hope for the marshes thanks to the collaboration of Shell and Wetlands International.

This weekend, people and organisations all over the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD). The theme this year is “Destination Flyways : Migratory Birds and Tourism”. WMBD was initiated in 2006 and is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. Wetlands International is a founding partner in this celebration and we are happy to be joined by an increasing number of partners.

Those consuming tofu and soy milk, but especially meat eaters and those driving a car should keep a critical eye on the impacts of soy cultivation. About 70 percent of soy cultivated is used for animal feed fulfilling the growing meat demands in the world, while the second largest driver of soy expansion is for the use of biodiesel. Whilst recognising these values of soy, its expansion has adverse impacts on important wetlands and forests in South America, and violates land rights. We therefore join many other NGO’s in their efforts to green the soy industry.

Strasbourg. Wetlands International and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust welcome today’s adoption by the European Parliament of a new Regulation to address the impacts of invasive alien species on EU biodiversity.

Wetlands International, CARE Nederland, Cordaid, the Netherlands Red Cross, and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said today they were deeply concerned about the increasing risks climate change poses to people, reflected in the latest report by scientists on climate impacts. The agencies welcome the reference to the value of ecosystem-based adaptation.

By Susanne Boom - The grassy hillsides and vast forests around Rwambu wetland in south-western Uganda are not only a beautiful sight to see - it is fertile land which sustains agricultural based livelihoods, such as coffee, tea, bananas and beans. The Rwambu wetland is also a success story of integrated nature-based solutions.

Indonesia plans to restore the eroding areas of its coastline in Java and Bali with nature based approaches inspired on Dutch methods. Also other vulnerable coasts in Indonesia will be looked at. The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), environmental organisation Wetlands International and research institute Deltares last week Friday formally agreed to collaborate in the effort to tackle the erosion problems of Indonesian coasts.

In Southeast Asia about 25% of plantations are currently on peat and some companies have more than 75% of their plantations on these carbon rich soils. But an increasing number of palm oil and pulp wood producing giants are announcing their commitments to no deforestation and no peatland conversion. What are their real intentions for peatlands?

Yesterday, a week-long exchange visit about integrated coastal management by the government of Indonesia to the Netherlands was formally opened by Wim Kuijken, Deltacommissioner of the Netherlands. Both Wim Kuijken and Mr. Eko Rudianto, Director of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia highlighted ‘Building with Nature’ as an effective approach to sustainable coastal management.

In September 2013, seven European organisations joined forces to create Wetlands International – European Association. This new element of the global Wetlands International network will focus on the development and implementation of EU policy, and on its effects and impacts on global wetlands.

Press release / Press invitation

- 14 March - A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia (MMAF) will visit the Netherlands from 17 to 21 March to learn how the Dutch have applied ‘Building with Nature’ techniques for flood prevention. The Director General of Marine, Coast and Small Islands, Dr Sudirman Saad, M.Hum, and the advisor of the Minister, Mr Ukay Karyadi joined by five executives, are interested in meeting with Dutch coastal and delta experts, who specialize in the integration of infrastructure, nature and society.

It was an early Saturday morning in Timbul Sloko, at the North Coast of central Java, Indonesia, and not just any Saturday. It was a day of hope. The community gathered together to discuss the rehabilitation of their lost land.

I recently got the chance to experience the natural beauty of Djoudj National Park in Senegal for the first time and see its conservation needs. The Djoudj is a paradise for over a million waterbirds and a lot of other biodiversity. It provides an ideal setting for developing sustainable solutions such as tourism that should allow the surrounding villages, visitors and nature to benefit from this natural wonder.

Wetlands International’s team is currently working on the 6th edition of the AEWA Conservation Status Report, which summarises the available knowledge about the size and trends of migratory waterbird populations.

The second stage of the Grand West Asian Wintering Waterbird Survey in Saudi Arabia has covered the Red Sea coast between Jeddah and Jizan. During our survey, we have visited the Southern Cornish of Jeddah, the Shoaybah Al-Mudaylif Coast, the coast near to Al Qunfodah, the Al-Shoqaiq Cost, Ras Altarfa and the southern and northern cornishes of Jizan.

The Hague, The Netherlands - With the societal and environmental costs of wetland degradation already huge and growing fast, Wetlands International brought over 100 current and prospective partners and supporters together to explore opportunities for positive action to sustain and restore wetlands in a reception at the atmospheric De Glazen Zaal (Glass Room) in the Hague. The evening featured an interactive marketplace to showcase some of our current initiatives, plus distinguished speakers and interviews with current partners on how our work with different sectors is helping to protect and restore wetlands. In addition to celebrating World Wetlands Day, the event also featured the launch of Wetlands International’s new logo.

In my previous blogs, we discussed that a healthy mangrove-mud coast is dynamic, and how these dynamics are controlled by the tide and the waves. In a healthy coastal system, these processes, which bring sediment towards the coast and take the sediments away, are more or less balanced.

When you think of the Sahel in Africa, what picture does it conjure up? Dry sandy areas with scattered trees and perhaps hungry-looking children looking after cattle and goats? Maybe fewer of you imagine big river systems, heaving with fish, and lined with flooded forests? The magic of this zone, which stretches across Africa and borders the Sahara, is that it is both very dry and very wet. And that nature and people depend on both the drylands and wetlands and move in-between according to the seasons.

Today, people and organisations all over the world celebrate World Wetlands Day. The theme this year is “Wetlands & Agriculture: Partners for Growth”. This day was created by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits.

The Global Freshwater Fish BioBlitz kicked off on World Wetlands Day to engage nature lovers in freshwater fish conservation. The Freshwater Fish Specialist Group (FFSG), of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Wetlands International, has joined forces with other international groups to introduce this new global initiative.

The recent outbreak of the H5N8 strain of Avian Influenza is causing many victims amongst poultry and wild birds in the Republic of Korea. The Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds has issued a statement on this outbreak saying that there is currently no evidence that wild birds are the source of this virus. Instead the focus of disease control actions must be on the domestic poultry sector.

A new online Atlas of freshwater biodiversity presenting spatial information and species distribution patterns was launched today. The Atlas is an output of BioFresh, an EU-funded project supported by Wetlands International that is putting together the widely dispersed information about life in our rivers and lakes, to better understand, manage and protect our freshwaters for generations to come.

In the Malaysia Chronicle of 17 January 2014, Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) mentions that there is no credible scientific basis for companies to divest from palm oil plantations on peat soils. The article refers to the announcement of Wilmar about a month ago to undertake "no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation" in their palm oil trades. Wetlands International welcomes Wilmar’s decision and gives a brief recap in this article of the science base.

Brussels. The European Commission’s proposal for a climate and energy package for the period between 2020 and 2030 may throw the door wide open to imports of dirty fuels from tar sands and endanger sustainability criteria for biofuels.

The 5th Conservation Status Report produced by Wetlands International for the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) highlighted that our understanding of the status of wintering waterbirds is the weakest in the West Asian / East African flyway. This is partially a consequence of insufficient capacity in the region. To help tackle the problem we are supporting the development of strategies for countries in the region with the help of the MAVA Foundation.

“Migratory waterbirds connecting wetlands and people” is the motto of the Flyway Programme of Wetlands International. This was put into practice during a workshop organised for site managers and local NGO leaders along the East Atlantic Flyway in Africa, held between 14-18 December in the Djoudj National Park, Senegal.

In the tropics, peat swamp forests are often logged and converted to oil palm and pulp wood plantations. This results in adverse effects on the natural resource base of local communities and impacts the biodiversity, water regulation and carbon storage functions of peatlands. As an alternative, paludiculture is a sustainable form of agriculture which enables the productive use of rewetted peatlands. It will prevent the oxidation of the peat carbon, thus preventing the massive natural organic carbon store from turning into the greenhouse gas CO2.

If you ever visit a mangrove-mud coast, you will see that the mangroves grow more or less between the waterlines at mean high water and the waterline at the highest tidal level occurring in a year. Understanding the relation between tides and mangroves is therefore essential to rehabilitation efforts.

The 38 floodplain forests of Mali’s Inner Niger Delta are very important to the economy and livelihoods of the 1.5 million people who live there. They contain much of the natural wealth of the delta and are therefore referred to locally as ‘banks’.

Ministers Meeting at global climate talks in Warsaw should heed the lessons of past disasters.

The following joint statement on the need for increased public adaptation financing was released today by The Nature Conservancy, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), BirdLife International and Wetlands International, at the United Nations global climate change conference now underway in Warsaw, Poland.

Often conservation work starts with individual initiatives. The stories of Haji Madsahi and Babah Akong emphasize the value of local knowledge and initiative for the restoration of coastal ecosystems. They have both received awards for their work and Wetlands International now works with them, so that their efforts can be further scaled up.

A controversial report from a technical committee of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is under-estimating the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by palm oil grown on tropical peatlands by nearly 50%, according to NGOs.

Inhabitants of low lying delta areas are particularly exposed to flooding and erosion caused by storms and hurricanes. These pressures increase with climate change and sea level rise. Coastal wetlands, such as mangroves, can play a key role in damage mitigation during disasters, as well as in stabilising coastlines. They also contribute to aquaculture and fisheries. Integration of ecosystem-based coastal protection in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies and resulting measures to conserve these landscapes are essential if mangroves are to keep protecting us. Full article featured in Outreach Magazine.

Oil palm cultivation on peatlands is seen as an attractive option for many plantation developers in Southeast Asia. Not only is the land extensively available, the soils – despite the poor soil fertility – are somehow “working” for oil palm cultivation. Peatlands can therefore be perceived as lucrative and attractive for expansion of oil palm plantations.

So why then is oil palm on peat a path to disaster? We highlight two major impacts in this article. Firstly, peatland drainage for oil palm results in substantial carbon emissions. Secondly it results in flooding and land loss as a result of soil subsidence. We also offer some solutions.

Oil palm growers, the food, cosmetics and oil industry, governments, scientists and environmental and social groups from all over the world participate this week in the 11th Annual Roundtable Meeting on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT11 RSPO). The main theme of this year’s meeting is “RSPO Standard 2013. Understand. Apply. Embrace”. Wetlands International has been involved in the review process of the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and will actively participate in the Roundtable meeting.

In order to better understand the Badas peat dome in Brunei, we needed to clear a path through the peat forest, stick monitoring pipes into the ground at several intervals and take measurements. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well, I’ve never been so wrong in my entire life.

India's disaster preparedness has succeeded in dramatically reducing the loss of lives of cyclone Phailin last weekend. While the power of Phailin was a category stronger than the 1999 Odisha cyclone, India timely evacuated nearly a million people from the coastline.

Today is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2013, a UN event to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. Wetlands International celebrates this day and highlights the critical role wise use and restoration of wetland ecosystems such as mangroves, river basins, marshes, and lakes can play in reducing the impacts of natural hazards like floods, droughts, storm surges and wind waves

Sobé and other villages in the Mali Inner Niger Delta are threatened by the desert's sand. Communities are forced to rebuild their homes every two years to avoid burial by sand dunes, which are moving as a result of degradation of the Savannah.

How to get the attention from the government, private sector, communities and press at the same time for water availability problems downstream the river? In Kenya local indigenous peoples organizations managed to come up with an eye-catching initiative. They organized a Camel Caravan.

This September Wetlands Internationalofficially joined PEDRR, a global alliance of UN agencies, NGOs and specialist institutes which plays a vital role in steering the policy and practice in disaster risk reduction(DRR). Through this alliance, Wetlands International can effectively influence and make recommendations to the Hyogo Framework for Actionand theUNISDR, the UN office which coordinates global activities on reducing the risk of disasters.

The Niger and Nile basins are areas with high water stress and increasing competition for water resources. For that reason these regions are in focus under a large EU-funded project called IMPACT2C which seeks to systematically quantify climate impacts, vulnerabilities, risks and economic costs as well as potential adaptive responses under a global average surface temperature change of 2°C. Wetlands International is one of the partners in this effort and has its focus in the Niger basin.

Vienna, Austria – As part of the European River Restoration Conference, five European river basins committed themselves to working together. The river basins include: the Arpa in Armenia, Irpen in Ukraine, Irwell in England, Orbigo in Spain, and Rhone in France. Under the facilitation of the European Centre for River Restoration, the five parties will develop and share their best practices and knowledge in order to stimulate larger scale river restoration.

In my previous blogs, I have tried to convince you that the erosion of mangrove-mud coasts is directly related to thoughtless land-use. Though the observations are self-evident, we need to understand the underlying physical processes before we can think of mitigating measures. And that is only possible if we understand the behavior of a healthy mangrove-mud coast.

Vienna, Austria - Over 300 delegates gathered last week for the European River Restoration Conference. Leading policy makers, scientists and restoration practitioners shared experiences, identified the key future challenges and celebrated successes in improving the state of Europe’s rivers. The Rhine River was recognised with the 1st European Riverprize while finalists from more recent river initiatives in central and southern Europe were highly acclaimed. Distinguished keynote speakers including EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik were impressed by the growing body of knowledge and good practice examples that the European Centre of River Restoration and its partners brought together that is essential to support the implementation of many EU policy objectives.

Stockholm – WASH (drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene) relies on and impacts water. Therefore, environmental sustainability needs to be at the core of WASH practice. Wetlands International featured our experiences reaching nature-based solutions and sought out additional partners to help transform the WASH sector at an event during Stockholm World Water Week.

Bonn 29 August 2013 – The Waterbird Harvest Specialist Group (WHSG) affiliated to Wetlands International was re-launched on the 28th of August 2013 at a special session on waterbird management at the 31st Congress of the International Union of Game Biologists which took place in Brussels, Belgium on the 27 – 29 August 2013.

It’s thanks to Tajikistan that it’s the UN International Year of Water Cooperation. Through a string of events, the world’s attention is focused on the water crisis and the urgent need for humanity to tackle it through improved cooperation – between nation states, across and between sectors, industry, government and civil society.

Wetlands International CEO Jane Madgwick is participating in a high-level panel on water cooperation for ecosystems at the International Conference on Water Cooperation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. As part of the International Year of Water Cooperation, we are attending to highlight the urgent need to safeguard and restore wetland ecosystems as a key strategy to address water security challenges.

I spent 4 months doing fieldwork in Timbul Sloko, a small village in Demak District, on the North coast of Central Java (Indonesia). I was there as part of a Wetlands International project to restore the eroding mud coast of the village through hybrid engineering.

As part of TEEB for Water and Wetlands, Ritesh Kumar, the Conservation Programme Manager of Wetlands International, South Asia recently shared his views on how wetlands provide products that satisfy the livelihoods of many communities and therefore help to alleviate poverty. He argues for development polices and strategies that recognise this value. Read the interview by Anand Chandrasekhar.

A new report by The Nature Conservancy and Wetlands International shows that mangroves can adapt to rising sea levels by building up soils in some locations, allaying fears that mangroves may be lost as sea levels rise. This is important because mangroves provide risk reduction services against coastal hazards such as waves and storm surges.

As part of a training course on river restoration sponsored by the RESTORE project, I recently visited the Waal River, a main branch of the Rhine River, flowing through the Netherlands. Here the Dutch are making ‘Room for the River’, restoring floodplains to reduce the risks of floods and creating benefits for people and nature. On the heels of recent catastrophic floods in Central Europe, this approach deserves a closer look if Europe is to meet many of its growing environmental and social policy challenges, including climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Sumatra, Indonesia. The health and climate impacts of large peatland and forest fires in Sumatra provide yet another harrowing reminder of the unsustainability of palm oil and pulp wood plantations on peat.

Saint Louis, Senegal - Wetlands International is joining forces with the Senegal River Basin Authority to identify the many important services that wetlands provide to people and nature in the Senegal River Basin. In order to meet the growing water needs in the increasingly arid Sahel of West Africa, this partnership will identify how natural ‘green’ infrastructure wetlands including seasonal floodplains, swamps and lakes can be used to support more sustainable livelihoods for people in the four countries of the basin (Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal) while adapting to climate change and protecting nature.

A week before US President Obama descends on Senegal to encourage the tracking down of terrorists in the region, I joined our Africa team and my international Supervisory Council there to investigate issues related to a more fundamental security challenge – relating to increasingly scarce water resources. As we witnessed in Mali last year, water security, human conflicts and mass migrations are closely intertwined in this fragile Sahelian zone.

The round of applause at the end of the REDD+ negotiations in Bonn reflected the relief of the Parties at having concluded work on several difficult issues. But their efforts will not stop deforestation and forest degradation.

Opportunities for climate change mitigation through peatland rehabilitation and lessons learned for future agreements under the UNFCCC were discussed at a side event during the Bonn climate negotiations.

Wetlands International warmly welcomes the extension of Indonesia’s moratorium on new forest concessions signed on the 13th May by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The extension, however, does not address the shortcomings of the previous moratorium.

In my first blog, I introduced the term “ecosystem services”, which has become a popular way to refer to the value of ecosystems. This is an important concept as it provides a counter-argument to the often narrow-minded and short-eyed approach of economics.

A newly published study shows that three species of waterbirds (tufted duck, goosander and goldeneye) are shifting their wintering grounds northwards along the North-West Europe flyway in response to rising temperatures. Rising temperatures due to climate change and shifting ranges for wintering waterbirds have profound implications for the conservation of site networks along the flyways and highlights the importance of adaptive management approaches.

In my previous blog, I have tried to explain the importance of mangrove mud coasts. Of course, these coasts are beautiful, exotic environments, with rare species, such as the mud skipper and numerous crabs, as well as rare birds.

I am an engineer. I am a civil engineer and I work with “cohesive sediment”, which is a fancy term for mud. Mud is all over the place, in lakes and rivers, in river mouths (estuaries) and inlets, along the coast and in the deep ocean.

March 22, 2013: On World Water Day 2013, water issues are more critical than ever, and affect everyone around the globe. The UN has proclaimed 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation, and Wetlands International is doing its part to promote the role of wetland ecosystems as natural water infrastructure.

Last week delegates to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties (COP16) in Bangkok, Thailand, agreed to stronger conservation measures for the West African manatee. The proposal was led by Benin, Sierra Leone and Senegal with support from Wetlands International.

Wetlands International welcomes the European Parliament’s vote on rules for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from agriculture and forestry. Emissions and removals from cropland and grazing land management will have to be accounted for, but accounting for wetland drainage and rewetting remains voluntary.

For those who have all the basic services, it may be hard to conceive of the extreme poverty faced by the indigenous K'iche communities. My first experience in the Bio-rights initiative was to visit Chicorral, the most remote and difficult to access community, and smallest with only 20 families.

Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Growing recognition that solving the looming water crisis will require innovative thinking and new partnerships brought experts from several sectors to Rotterdam last week. On the eve of World Wetlands Day and with the UN International Year of Water Cooperation as a backdrop, Wetlands International, WBCSD and the City of Rotterdam co-hosted international leaders from business, government and the NGO sector to launch the “Get the solutions flowing” campaign. The campaign will run through 2013 and aims to catalyse an Agenda for Action that turns talk into action on behalf of natural water infrastructure.

Geneva, Switzerland – A new report on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), co-authored by Wetlands International, emphasises the enormous economic value of wetlands. TEEB For Water and Wetlands highlights the key role played by wetlands as natural infrastructure and the multitude of enormously productive services they provide around the world. The continued loss of wetlands illustrates the need for improved policy making and business decision making that accounts for their true value.

Ede, The Netherlands – Wetlands International owes great respect to the Counsellor of Honour of our organisation, Professor Geoffrey V. T. Matthews, who passed away on 22 January 2013 at the age of 89 years. Professor Mathews served as Honorary Director of the International Wildfowl Research Bureau(one of the predecessor organisations of Wetlands International), succeeding Dr Luc Hoffmann in that role in 1969.

Ede, The Netherlands - Wetlands International is deeply saddened by the loss of Prof. Tatsuichi Tsujii, he was a much loved member of the international wetland community and an inspiration to so many. He was a former Supervisory Council member of Wetlands International and the president of Wetlands International Japan. Prof. Tatsuichi Tsujii passed away on the 15th of January at the age of 81.

Ede, the Netherlands - Mangroves can help protect coastal communities by reducing the height and power of waves generated by storms, and by reducing coastal flooding during tropical cyclones, a new report by The Nature Conservancy and Wetlands International reveals. Added to other roles in erosion protection and diminishing the power of waves, mangroves can therefore play an important role in coastal defence and disaster risk reduction.

Dakar (SEN) / Ede (NL) / Naryan-Mar (RU) – A new initiative to protect migratory waterbirds flying between the Arctic and Africa has been launched by Wetlands International. Funded by the Arcadia Fund, the three-year initiative will engage local people and governments to develop a coherent approach to the management of the wetland sites used by the birds along the flyway.

The United Nations’ climate summit in Doha has come to an end after two weeks of heated and protracted negotiations. Amongst limited progress, the general trend has been to delay decisions and refer further discussions to next year.

Ede, the Netherlands - Wetlands International congratulates Jan van der Winden on his Herman Klomp prize for his long-term commitment to the protection of birds. In collaboration with Wetlands International, Jan was instrumental in the success of the Follow the Bird! initiative.

The first week of the Doha Climate Conference is over, and so is the SBSTA – the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. After a relatively slow start, REDD+ negotiators really started feeling the time pressure, as the closure of the week drew nearer and several unresolved issues remained.

The first few days in Doha at the Climate Conference have been relatively quiet. After a full day of opening ceremonies, delegates sat down for real business on Tuesday and Wednesday. Discussions focused on organisation of work and future ways forward but now that the first half of the first week has passed, one can definitely feel a change in pace.

Brussels, Belgium – Wetlands International is deeply concerned about the European Commission's announced approval of a biofuel sustainability scheme for palm oil certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This development will open the EU doors to palm oil under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) without any guarantees that this will contribute to climate change mitigation or safeguard forests and tropical peatlands.

I admit it: before joining Wetlands International I had never even seen a mangrove. I knew about these funny trees with their roots in brackish water, but I also admit that I had no idea of the amazing ecosystems they are. All of that changed recently, when I had the opportunity to join colleagues from seven of our Wetlands International offices at a meeting in our Indonesia office, in Bogor.

Along with Yus Rusila Noor of our Indonesia office, I recently participated in the 5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 22 – 25 October 2012 as part of the Partners for Resilience consortium. Our participation was a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of healthy ecosystems for resilient livelihoods and the use of ‘natural infrastructure’ as a buffer against extreme events.

As the Conservation Programme Manager for South Asia, I represented Wetlands International at the 11th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad, India that concluded on October 20, 2012. Going from one side event to the other, either presenting or joining discussion panels, this conference in my home country was a very satisfying experience for me. With you, I’d like to share several positive outcomes and actions:

Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission announced yesterday that it will not consider indirect land use change (ILUC) in sustainability requirements for biofuels. Wetlands International is deeply disappointed. This proposal undermines the objective of EU biofuels policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the additional decision to limit the use of food crops as fuel is welcome, the omission of ILUC factors has direct detrimental consequences for both wetlands and climate.

Ede, the Netherlands - Wetlands International welcomes the approval of the new carbon trading category “Wetlands Restoration and Conservation” (WRC) by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The new category provides a strong incentive for private investment in conservation and restoration of carbon rich wetlands.

Hyderabad, India – The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference in Hyderabad, India 8 - 19 October is an important opportunity to improve the linkages between wetlands and water management. On 9 October (13:15 in Room 1.02, Level 1) Wetlands International is hosting an event ‘Wetlands, Water and Aichi Targets’ which will identify mechanisms for the water and wetlands management sectors to cooperate in order to effectively achieve the Aichi Target outcomes, which have high significance for wetlands and water management.

Edinburgh, October 5th 2012. Wetlands International supports the IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s request to the government of the United Kingdom to include Wetland Drainage and Rewetting in their national accounting of greenhouse gas emissions.

Peatlands have been recognised for their high carbon storage and their potential to emit a huge amount of carbon emissions once they are drained. Their annual carbon emissions of 2 billion tonnes are a paramount issue in the global effort to mitigate climate change. However, the perilous and far-reaching consequences from peat drainage activities are not limited to carbon loss only. Another key concern that so far has been given insufficient attention is the issue of ‘subsidence’.

New York - In September 2011 Wetlands International announced its Commitment to Action under the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which is ‘Securing Wetland Carbon Stores for Climate’. The aim of this global NGO is to achieve emission reductions in the order of at least 100 megatons by 2015 through the conservation and rehabilitation of carbon-rich wetlands. Now, one year later, they are well on the way to achieving their commitment.

Ede, the Netherlands - A new reportby The Nature Conservancy and Wetlands International proves that mangrove forests protect coastal populations and infrastructure against wind and swell waves. Preventing damage to coastal infrastructure and flooding, mangroves reduce wave height by as much as 66% over 100 metres of forest. With coastal populations vulnerable to the impacts of extreme events such as storms and hurricanes, these organisations say mangrove management needs to be included in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts in coastal areas worldwide.

Stockholm, Sweden - Wetlands International calls for action to address urgent water security issues that are undermining the health and livelihoods of millions of people through our participation at World Water Week, which features the theme “Water and Food Security.” As part of high level discussions on the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus, and in order to draw attention to the emerging phenomenon of ‘water grabbing’, we are showcasing our work in Mali where the wetlands of the Inner Niger Delta are critical for the food and water security of over one million people.

Bucharest, Romania - At the recently concluded 11th Ramsar Conference of the Parties in Bucharest, Romania, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) signed Resolutions of Cooperation with both the Ramsar Secretariat and African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) to work together in order to better promote Arctic wetlands and bring greater attention to their importance. As a close partner of Ramsar, CAFF and AEWA, Wetlands International welcomes these agreements.

Why should we keep peatlands wet? If they have been drained, why should we bother to rewet them? The answer is that peatlands provide huge benefits that often go unrecognised. Presentations from China and Belarus in a side event co-organised by Wetlands International at the Ramsar Convention Conference of the Parties (COP11) gave excellent overviews of the benefits as well as challenges of peatland conservation and rewetting for climate change mitigation.

Bucharest, Romania - The 11th meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands concluded last week in Bucharest with the adoption of 22 resolutions on issues addressing the wise use of wetlands in 162 signatory countries. Wetlands International welcomes several decisions including the recognition of the overuse of pesticides and growing impacts of foreign-based land investment on wetlands. While many of the resolutions provide needed guidance to address threats facing wetlands, resolutions needed to address cross-sectoral challenges such as climate change and energy remain weak.

What would you do if your community was hit by a tsunami? When confronted with disaster, human responses vary: despair, anger, disbelief, sorrow. Planting trees might not be the first thing that comes to mind.

The overuse of pesticides in rice paddies in Southeast Asia is currently fueling a devastating pest outbreak epidemic. Due to the urgent need for the Ramsar Convention to address these issues, we felt it important to present the facts supporting it. Therefore, Wetlands International's team from its India, Argentina and the Netherlands offices held an informational event together with partners FAO, IRRI and IWMI.

11th meeting of the Ramsar Convention (COP11) 6-13 July 2012 in Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest, Romania - Wetlands International will press for adoption of resolutions at the Ramsar Conference of Parties that call upon countries to take action on some of the most pressing challenges facing wetlands, such as energy production and pesticide use in rice fields. As an International Organisation Partner (IOP) we will also urge for a climate change resolution that commits Contracting Parties to take up the newly available incentives to invest in the protection, restoration and sustainable use of their peatlands, as part of their strategies to address climate change.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - During Rio+20 in Brazil, the 'Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Water and Wetlands Initiative' will be launched in a side event on 15 June. This initiative utilises the TEEB approach to generate a better understanding of the ecosystem service values of water and wetlands to encourage additional policy momentum and business commitment for their conservation, investment and wise use.

Bogor, Indonesia - Wetlands International welcomes the decision by the Indonesian government to protect the Kallista Alam peat swamp forest area (1650Ha) in Tripa, Aceh. We also recognise the issue identified by Dr Kuntoro Mangkusubroto (head of Indonesia’s climate team) who mentioned that "The case of Kallista Alam in Aceh is the typical problem we are facing.” Wetlands International fears for the many similar cases in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Wetlands International in Argentina has become a member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy to help addressing the loss of wetlands and their values in the guidelines for responsible soy. Wetland areas are severely threatened by the expansion of soy cultivation due to water extraction, pollution and reclamation, with considerable costs for society.

Bonn, 17 May 2012 - Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the non-governmental organisation Wetlands International launch ‘The Organic Soils and Peatlands Climate Change Mitigation Initiative’. The Initiative has been established to increase awareness about how the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of peatlands can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, and to facilitate strategic actions that can lead to measurable progress in this area. The Initiative will be launched during the intersessional climate session of the United Nations in Bonn (13–25 May).

La Rochelle, France - The 5th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), 14-18 May 2012, La Rochelle, France, organised by AEWA Secretariat, will kick off shortly in La Rochelle in France. The five-day meeting carries the theme “Migratory waterbirds and people – sharing wetlands”. Wetlands International will contribute to this theme by three publication releases and two key events.

Wetlands International expressed its deep concern about the proposed 53km Danube regulation project in Croatia in a letter to Croatia's Minister for Environment and Nature Protection Mirela Holy. The NGO understands that this regulation would have a severe impact upon the unique river landscape and the most highly valued floodplain area and forests of the entire Danube.

Brussels, Belgium - CEO Jane Madgwick of Wetlands International spoke on The Future of Europe’s Waters at a European Parliament Interactive Seminar chaired by MEP Giancarlo Scotta earlier this month. Other speakers included Nicola Natoro (Directorate General Environment, European Commission), Martin Scheele, (Directorate General Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission) and Antoine Poupard of the French Farmer’s Association. The seminar was sponsored by Wetlands International member organization FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU.

A firestorm is sweeping across Tripa’s protected peatswamp forests, endangering the last few hunderd Orangutans remaining in this threatened area. The fires seem a direct result from draining for illegal palm oil expansion into the area. Wetlands International is saddened by the devastation of this forest; the organisation has called for many years for a better conservation of the precious old growth forest.

Forest biodiversity – Towards a Green Economy

Wetlands International is co-hosting an international conference to promote sustainable management of Brunei’s peat forests and mangrove forests on 22-23 March at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The event is organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam through the Forestry Department and is organised in conjunction with this year’s World Forestry Day celebrations on 21 March 2012.

Marseille - The combined impacts of new infrastructure schemes and a warmer climate will cause extremely low water levels in the West Sahelian Niger River, impacting the millions downstream and the wider economy. Extremely low water levels in the Niger River are expected to become a regular phenomenon. Wetlands International will present the latest figures based on research with partners. The organisation calls for a moratorium both on new infrastructure schemes and on the extension of existing ones in this water-scarce part of Africa.

Ede, The Netherlands, February 16, 2012Wetlands International is calling on the Netherlands to commit to its international obligations for the depoldering of the Hedwigepolder, part of an important delta in the country. Dutch Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Mr. Bleker, meets Euro commissioner of Environment Janez Potocnik today to discuss this. The delta concerns a vital and unique nature area of international importance that we should safeguard, says the non-profit organization. The depoldering was agreed to compensate environmental damage caused by the deepening of the estuary the Western Scheldt.

My name is Mamadou. I am a journalist working for 'What If We Change', an interactive video platform which gives insights in the daily lives of people that depend on ecosystems such as wetlands. I am your eyes and ears in Mali where I work together with Wetlands International to improve water management and support ecosystem restoration in the Inner Niger Delta. By sharing my films and stories I hope to draw your attention for the millions of people that rely on the sustainable use of this beautiful wetland.

Netherlands, 2 Feb. 2012. With a well attended event in The Hague, the Netherlands, Wetlands International presented its plans for the coming years. Different speakers showed the effective approach of the organisation as a broker between science, policy and practice; between field level challenges and global trends and solutions and between different sectors and interests.

Welcome on World Wetlands Day! A day to celebrate the role of wetlands in contributing to biodiversity and human well-being. Wetlands International was instrumental in campaigning for and creating the Ramsar Convention and was present in this event in 1971 in Iran when it was formed. The vision and emphasised the crucial role of wetlands in contributing to sustainable development. This is still our message today…but more urgent!

22 December 2011. The recent flooding disaster in Mindanao, Philippines is undeniably a result of extreme rainfall brought on shore by the cyclone Washi. But this is not the entire story; the loss of forests, establishment of plantations with exotic tree species, widespread illegal mining operations and degradation of wetlands has decreased water retention and increased flash-floods and mudslides across the country. As a result, heavy rainfall may turn into disastrous flooding within hours.

Durban, South Africa, 11 Dec-2011. The Durban Climate Summit has delivered an overall rather meager agreement. A positive outcome has though come forward to reduce emissions from peatlands, both in REDD+ from developing as under the Kyoto Protocol for developed countries. Wetlands International celebrates this result. Peatlands represent 6% of global emissions and until now, no incentive existed under the UNFCCC for reduce these.

By Susanna Tol, from the UN Climate Summit in Durban. For two weeks, I am at the climate summit in Durban, meeting governmental delegations from all over the world to get the emissions from wetland degradation addressed.

Slimbridge (UK) - Widespread declines in birds that spend most of their lives at sea are alarming conservationists. Seven species of seaduck that spend the northern winter in the Baltic – a key non-breeding area – have dropped in number by up to 65% in 15 years, without any clear explanation.

Durban, South Africa - Peatlands must be given much stronger attention at the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa, calls NGO Wetlands International. Peatlands are the world’s most concentrated and important reservoirs of terrestrial organic carbon and a fast growing source of emissions. They should become ‘no-go zones’.

Mopti, Mali - Communities in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta are facing an emerging drought. At this time of the year the Niger River in West Africa is normally reaching its peak, delivering water for millions of people including the 1.4 million living in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta. This year, water levels are drastically low compared to previous years. Low rainfall may not be the only cause.

Wetlands International is deeply saddened by the loss of Mark Barter, one of its Associate Experts. The world of waterbird and wetland conservation along the East Asian - Australasian Flyway has lost a pioneering figure and a role model with his passing away on 21 November 2011. Mark always held a passion for shorebirds throughout his life, helping to guide the development of the “National Plan for Shorebird Conservation in Australia” (1987), before becoming the second Chairman of the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG) from 1987 to 1997.

Durban, South Africa - Wetlands International will be present at the upcoming climate talks in Durban (28 November – 9 December). This global NGO will show the important role that wetlands can play to adapt to climate change, with specific attention for wetlands in the dry and vulnerable parts of Africa. Wetlands International also continues its call for incentives to conserve and restore carbon-rich wetlands peat soils under a new climate treaty.

Ede, The Netherlands - Wetlands International is very proud to see that all four of its projects are listed among the 20 most successful Global Environmental Facility (GEF) funded projects. With more than 460 GEF-funded projects competing, this is a great honour.

Amsterdam - IUCN Dutch committee launches an interactive platform for video stories about the power of nature restoration, called What if we change. Wetlands International is one of the partners in this platform with an innovative nature restoration project in the Inner Niger Delta in Mali.

Wuxi, China - The Asian Wetland Symposium on Human Well-being and Wetlands, co-organised by Wetlands International China, brought together 800 participants from 19 countries, including many officials from local governments in China. The event concluded with the adoption of the Wuxi Declaration, in which participants call for a series of actions to be taken for wetland conservation and wise use.

New York - At the Global Clinton Initiative in New York, Jane Madgwick, CEO of Wetlands International has presented our commitment to work with communities on saving worldwide two million acres of carbon dense peatswamps.

By Pieter van Eijk

Enormous logs float by while we navigate the Agusan river on Mindanao, the secondlargest island of the Philippines. A silent testimony of decades of ravaging sawmills and chainsaws that denuded most of the archipelago's once virgin hill slopes. The noisy motor of our boat stirs up a deeply brown-coloured mixture of water and sediment. Two decades ago, local fishermen tell me, the water was clear and readily drinkable.

Wetlands International is very concerned about the permission for Exxon and Rosneft for oil exploration in the Russian Arctic Sea. The area designated overlaps with two protected natural areas. Officially oil exploration is banned in these areas.

We proudly present our new 10-year Strategic Intent (2011-2020). While our organisation remains grounded within both the conservation and humanitarian sectors, we are broadening our focus on wetland and climate change issues. Also new is our emphasis on the economic sectors driving wetland loss and the potential to utilize some of these for conservation and restoration.

The Annual Review 2010 is out now! Despite the global economic crisis, our Annual Review 2010 shows a healthy and growing organisation. Due to our efforts together with many partners, we achieved a lot in terms of wetland restoration and conservation worldwide.

Wetlands International proudly presents the new chair of the Supervisory council of Wetlands International: Jan Ernst de Groot, who was formerly the Managing Director of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. We welcome him to the Wetlands International family and global network.

Wetlands International is deeply saddened to report the loss of one of flamingo conservation's champions. Dr. Brooks Childress, former Chair of the IUCN/SSC Wetlands International Flamingo Specialist Group from November 2004 to July 2010, passed away in the early hours of 22 July 2011.

Gland, Switzerland (IUCN)– Africa is being given a unique opportunity to conserve its tremendous diversity of freshwater species – a critical resource for many of Africa’s poorest people. African countries can now decide to use their water resources sustainably, and avoid paying millions of dollars, as is the case in Europe, to rectify poorly planned wetland development.

Bonn, Germany - A team of Wetlands International is present at the UN Climate meeting in Bonn (SBSTA), advocating for wetland conservation in the light of climate change. There we participate in two Side Events and bring our points across in the subsequent Adaptation Fund Board meeting as well.

Friday, 20 May 2011. Today, a two year moratorium between Norway and Indonesia to freeze Indonesia’s forest and peatland clearing has been agreed. The moratorium blocks new concessions in Indonesia’s peatlands and remaining forests; but also leaves many exemptions.

Geneva – Wetlands International has renewed its cooperation with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on May 19th through the signing of a new Memorandum of Cooperation for the period 2011-2017. The organisation sees an important future for the convention, with increased focus on the services such as water security that wetlands provide to people.

Washington, D.C. - Representatives from the Convention on Migratory Species, Ramsar Convention, UNEP, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Birdlife International, the GEF Secretariat, International Crane Foundation, and Wetlands International met to discuss several Global projects on Migratory Species. Specific to the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI) a project entitled: Conservation of globally important migratory species and the critical habitats needed to complete their lifecycles within the Americas is under design.

Rapid land use change for intensive agriculture and urban functions has a devastating impact, particularly on wetlands. In the light of World Migratory Bird Day 2011 on 14-15 May, Wetlands International calls for attention on the implications of land use change for waterbirds.

Wetlands International is very concerned about the renewed plans by the Tanzanian government to mine for soda ash in Lake Natron. The plan to mine at this very precious but vulnerable lake conflicts with the government’s international commitments and could cause the loss one of Africa’s most important Wetlands of International Importance, being the only breeding site of the East-African population of Lesser Flamingo.

Washington DC – Drainage and degradation of coastal wetlands emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide directly to the atmosphere and lead to decreased carbon sequestration, a new World Bank report has found.

Wetlands International organised a global symposium, connected to the launch of the 2011-2020 strategic intent. This international symposium offered a unique opportunity to consider a range of national and regional experiences in the management and restoration of wetlands; and to define global priorities in relation to the science, policies and practices of wetland management.

Edinburgh, Scotland. Representatives of governments, civil society and research centres of learning gathered in Edinburgh to consider the growing evidence base regarding the role of wetlands in addressing climate change. The global NGO Wetlands International has made climate change a prominent element in its new strategy for the coming decade.

Wetlands International in collaboration with the Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Environment Protection Agency is holding an international symposium to discuss the importance of wetlands in a changing climate in Edinburgh on the 24th of February 2011.

February 2, 2011. World Wetlands Day is this year celebrated with the theme “Forests for Water and Wetlands”. Wetlands International marks this day by launching its new initiatives to reverse the loss of the world’s wetland forests such as forested peatlands and mangroves.

An increasing part of Malaysia’s palm oil is produced at the account of huge areas of tropical peatswamp forests. Especially in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, expansion of oil palm plantations may lead to the complete loss of these vast, unique forests by the end of this decade. This is shown by new figures from Wetlands International and Sarvision.

Cancún, Mexico. Climate negotiators at the climate summit in Cancún agreed that in a future climate agreement it should be possible for countries to reduce their emissions by rewetting drained peatlands. Wetlands International is very pleased with this agreement because it means a strong incentive will be created to stop the loss of wetlands. Under the current Kyoto Protocol, these emissions were not included and therefore not addressed.

Cancún, Mexico 10 Dec 2010. Wetlands International strongly welcomes the decision of climate negotiators to enable developed countries to reduce their emissions by rewetting drained peatlands. Thanks to this decision, a climate deal following the Kyoto Protocol will provide strong incentives to halt and reverse the loss of wetlands. Under the current Kyoto Protocol, these emissions remained unaccounted and thus unaddressed.

Cancún, Mexico. During a celebrity side event at the climate change conference in Cancún private investor George Soros said he stands ready to invest in the rehabilitation of drained peatlands in Indonesia. He announced this in an event which discussed international partnerships under REDD+; a new UNFCCC mechanism to reduce emission from deforestation and degradation in developing countries.

One billion tonnes of forest and peatland emissions may go unaccounted

CANCUN – Countries at climate change talks in Cancun, Mexico this week are in closed door meetings on a deal to evade accounting for up to one billion tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution from the destruction of native forests and peatlands. The Ecosystems Climate Alliance (of which Wetlands International is one of the core members) today launched a colourful Truth in Targets campaign highlighting the imminent decision to entrench loopholes in proposed new international emissions rules for land and forests in developed countries.

Cancún, Mexico. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), science now allows to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands. This breakthrough was presented yesterday by the IPCC at the UN climate conference (UNFCCC) in Cancun (Mexico). This conclusion is crucial for allowing countries to reduce their emissions through rewetting drained wetlands. A decision on that will possibly be taken in Cancun.

The major UN climate conference takes place in Cancún, Mexico, where in the coming two weeks (29 November – 11 December) country delegations will negotiate next steps towards a new climate agreement. This may become an important meeting as countries could agree on reducing emissions from deforestation. One other key element on this agenda is to reduce the annual emissions from drained peatlands, in order to address this so far ignored part of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

New research warns of massive increase in carbon emissions and land conversion

Brussels, Belgium – Plans to increase the use of biofuels in Europe over the next ten years will require up to 69,000 square kilometres of new land worldwide and make climate change worse, a new study reveals today [1].

29 October 2010. Wetlands International is relieved by the successful outcome of the Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Japan. The approved 20 targets for 2020 are an important step to save our global biodiversity, including wetland areas.

Nagoya, Japan - Today, the UN Biological Diversity Convention in Japan has started on its second and last week. The aim to agree on ambitious global targets for the coming decade will be challenging; success is uncertain. The pace of the negotiations is slow.

The rate of decline of waterbird populations has slightly decreased over the last three decades. However, 47% of the waterbird populations are still declining and only 16% are increasing. The status of waterbirds is improving mainly in North America and Europe, while it is least favourable in Asia. Especially long distance migrants appear to be vulnerable.

Nagoya, Japan (CBD) - Wetlands International will present the State of the World’s Waterbirds 2010 on Thursday 21 October at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Japan. Through this publication, the organisation will show how different groups of waterbird populations are doing in different parts of our world.

Nagoya, Japan (CBD) - Wetlands International will hold two press conferences at the conference of the UN Biological Diversity Convention (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan in the morning of Thursday 21st of October, 2010.

Nagoya, Japan (CBD) - The Niger River is a lifeline for the Sahelian countries of Mali and Niger. Depending on the rainwater in Tropical West African Country of Guinea, the river fills the large Inner Niger Delta; a seasonal flooded area for one million people and millions of migratory waterbirds. A combination of upstream dams and expected climate change impacts may mean a disaster for these biodiversity and human values.

While global biodiversity loss increases at alarming rates, ministers are gathering in Japan for the most important biodiversity meeting of the decade. During this CBD meeting, a clear picture will be presented on the worsening state of the world’s biodiversity. Yet little in the way of additional action or commitment is expected from the governments in attendance.

TIANJIN, CHINA (UNFCCC) – Greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy1 – the development and burning of biofuels and the combustion of biomass to generate electricity – must be accounted for in national emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol, say forest and climate experts from the Ecosystems Climate Alliance (ECA), of which Wetlands International is a member.

New visitors centre displays migratory bird flyways from the Arctic to AfricaWetlands International and Dutch nature organisation Staatsbosbeheer demand attention on the international importance of the Dutch Oostvaardersplassen as key link in migratory birds’ networks of wetlands (flyway). The future visitors centre built by Staatsbosbeheer in Oostvaardersplassen will play an exemplary role in displaying intercontinental bird migration to its public. Wetlands International and Staatsbosbeheer formalised their cooperation by signing an agreement on Thursday 23 September in Lelystad, The Netherlands.

Plantations on peatsoils will no longer be supported by The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This is a decision by the CDM Board as a result of concerns expressed by Wetlands International, Greifswald University and CDM-Watch, who alarmed the Board that these CDM projects directly result in very high greenhouse gas emissions from the drainage of peat soils for palm oil plantations.

One in five species of plants and animals that live in fresh water in Africa is threatened with extinction. This is the conclusion of a comprehensive assessment of 5,167 freshwater species by 200 scientists over the past 5 years.

The thick smog in Moscow is for 80 to 90 percent caused by fires in drained peatlands near Moscow. Despite the relatively small areas where the peat fires occur, these are the fires that cause the massive air pollution in Moscow involving major risks for the health of residents of the region, as well as enormous CO2 emissions. Peat fires are difficult to extinguish and may continue to burn underground for months, even after rainfall like last night.

August 4, 2010. The disastrous forest fires that are currently raging in Russia have led to significant fires in the drained and degraded peatlands. These occur close to Moscow and densely populated areas in Central European Russia. They are causing huge air pollution problems as well as direct risks for the people in the region.

IUCN the Netherlands, Wetlands International and Both Ends can still submit their detailed proposal in order to compete for the Dutch Co-financing System for development grant (MFS II) with their program "The Ecosystem Alliance: Empowering People and Nature 'development.”

Bonn, Germany. New conservation plans for the Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus covering its entire range and migration routes that span continents have now been endorsed to save the species from extinction. During its annual migration, the Siberian Crane travels 5,000 kilometers from its breeding grounds in Yakutia and western Siberia, intermediate resting and feeding places, to its wintering sites in southern China and Iran respectively.

The Hague, The Netherlands - Key organisations from the Wings Over Wetlands project partnership, representing the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), Wetlands International and BirdLife International signed a historic collaborative agreement to redouble their efforts to conserve migratory waterbird species and their critical habitats in Africa and Eurasia.

The Hague, the Netherlands. A new website providing information on thousands of wetlands and hunderds of waterbird populations shows the difficult situation for the migratory waterbirds of Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia.

After a long process since the adoption of the Renewable Energy Directive, the European Commission has now made clear that biofuels produced or imported to the EU cannot be produced at the cost of wetlands, peatlands or forests.

Bonn, Germany. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will explore further guidance for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands. This is a crucial step towards a decision by the UN Climate Summit in December in Mexico to allow countries to reduce emissions through rewetting drained wetlands.

The large emissions from degrading peatsoils are currently not addressed at the climate conference. Wetlands International is present at the new session of the UN climate summit in Bonn to advocate for steps towards incentives for countries to protect and restore wetlands in order to reduce carbon emissions.

BONN, Germany – As the UN climate talks resume here today toward a new global deal to prevent catastrophic climate change, negotiators will be seeking a way forward on the challenge of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). Stemming the tide of forest loss is a key link in the global effort against climate change.

Wetlands International welcomes the support from Norway for Indonesia to curb emissions from deforestation and the loss of carbon rich peatswamps. We also welcome the announcement that under the partnership, Indonesia is prepared to suspend for two years new concessions for the conversion of peat and natural forest lands. However, we are very concerned that this moratorium will take effect only somewhere during the second phase of the partnership. This will create for some sectors during a period of at least 7 months a perverse incentive of enhanced effort for expanding palm oil and pulp concessions in Indonesian forest and peatland areas. We call for the moratorium to enter into immediate effect.

Wetlands International strongly welcomes the suspension by President Obama of oil drilling in the offshore USA territories in the Arctic. The period of suspension is needed for a proper analysis and discussion about the risks of offshore drilling.

The International Day of Biodiversity is Saturday 22 May. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and the year that the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will conclude that the aims to reduce biodiversity loss have not been achieved. According to Wetlands International, this crisis for biodiversity is directly connected to the global water crisis that is threatening our planet.

The world’s wetlands such as rivers, mangroves, deltas and lakes are degrading faster than any other ecosystem type. Increasingly many are reaching the critical stage where damage will be irreversible which has serious repercussions for the water and food security of poor people. This is revealed in the in-depth review on inland waters (wetlands) which is being discussed at the technical meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which kicked off Monday in Nairobi.

“Save migratory birds in crisis – every species counts!”- is this year's central WMBD theme and aims to raise awareness about globally threatened migratory birds, with a particular focus on those birds on the very edge of extinction - the Critically Endangered. On 8-9 May 2010 thousands of people around the world will be attending World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) events which will celebrate bird migration and highlight migratory birds in crisis.

Wetlands International is very concerned about the devastating threats of the BP oil spill on the south coast of the US. This disaster shows the permanent threat of offshore oil winning on very precious natural areas. The precautionary principle should be applied when considering oil winning activities in similarly highly vulnerable coastal areas.

Wetlands International regrets the loss of one of its greatest supporters, Heribert (Herby) Kalchreuter. Herby was the Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group Chair some years ago. He passed away the 14th of March. Wetlands International will very much miss his sense of humour, enthusiasm and dedication to waterbird conservation.

Waterbirds in Asia are in trouble. Rapid and poorly-planned human development leading to a lack of adequate official conservation of their important wetland sites are key reasons for their declining numbers. These are the conclusions of the newly published report by Wetlands International, covering over 6,700 wetland sites in 27 Asian countries.

Wetlands International welcomes the bilateral agreement between the Dutch government and Indonesia to restore Indonesia’s the degraded peatlands, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions. Wetlands International has been the leading organisation in advocating and piloting peatland restoration in Indonesia as one of the most effective means for climate change mitigation.

The EU Parliament has formulated sustainability criteria to prevent forest loss for biofuel production. Now, a leaked draft document shows how the Commission intends to allow and support conversion of for instance rainforest areas into palm oil plantations to produce biodiesel.

The book An Atlas of Wader Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia published by Wetlands International was awarded third prize in the 2009 Best British Bird Book of the Year Competition. This book - also known as the Wader Atlas - was produced jointly with the International Wader Study Group.

Celebrating World Wetlands Day, today's spotlight is on the importance of wetlands for reducing impacts of climate change. Globally, there is a growing recognition of the key role that the protection and restoration of wetlands like marshes, peatlands, mangroves and coral reefs can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to its impacts. Now, this recognition has to be turned into action.

Mansoa, Guinea Bissau. Government officials have launched a new mangrove project in Guinea Bissau, which will demonstrate how better management of mangrove forests can help in reducing coastal climate change impacts. The project aims to deliver the knowledge base for the development of national policies in the fight against climate change impacts. NGO Wetlands International, which is leading the project, emphasizes that this project is an example for many coastal areas in Africa and in the rest of the world.

December 19, 2009, 11.00. The COP just agreed on one sentence with a weak text as just an Annex. National short term interests have blocked any step towards solving one of the biggest challenges mankind faces. The momentum is now missing to move towards a low carbon economy and to reduce the loss of carbon rich ecosystems like forests and wetlands.

Copenhagen, Thursday 17 December 2009. If there will be a final and successful climate deal this weak remains unclear; many key issues are still under discussion. The current drafts do provide hope for the wetlands issue, although key elements need to be solved.

The satellite transmitter equipped Black-tailed Godwit called ‘Gaast’ has been found in the Inner Niger Delta of Mali, Africa after flying south from Friesian pastures in northern Netherlands in June. ‘Gaast’ is part of 15 individuals satellite marked in a project of the Groningen University under the Global Shorebird Network programme to study the precise migratory movements of the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa that migrates between the Netherlands and western Africa.

Despite slow developments on decisions for appropriate financing for protecting the most vulnerable countries against the impacts of climate change, some positive news can be reported by the Wetlands International team working on Adaptation in Copenhagen. The value of ecosystems for climate change adaptation is now explicitely recognised in the draft text for a new climate deal.

The Indonesian government acknowledges in Copenhagen that forestry and agriculture in peatswamp areas causes extreme carbon emissions, with just very limited economical revenues. Only a rapid development of a financial incentive such as REDD is able to protect and restore the remaining peatswamp forests.

This morning and yesterday; new steps are agreed regarding the texts on the Land Use part of the Kyoto Protocol (LULUCF) and on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing countries (REDD). Not all these new steps are positive, but they do allow addressing emissions from the loss of wetlands.

Wetlands International is present at the UN Cilmate Summit in Copenhagen. The outcomes of this summit may have a great impact on the future protection and restoration of wetland areas. We offer you direct updates via our website and via Twitter.

Maputo, Mozambique. A national group to carry out wetland biodiversity monitoring and other biodiversity conservation work has been created in Mozambique. This is the most important outcome of a national wetland and waterbird training course held at the Natural History Museum of Mozambique (Museu da Historia Natural) in Maputo, Mozambique from 9 - 17 November 2009.

Three dead manatees were found last week in the waters of the Navel River, a northern tributary to the Senegal River near the bridge-dam erected by SAED. According to witness accounts, the manatees carried by atypical strong currents violently slammed into the structure’s gates. This tragedy just one year after the rescue of five manatees in similar conditions re-launches the debate around the need for better integration of species’ migration, particularly the manatee, in the Senegal River valley.

Seven countries in West Africa, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde have agreed to collaborate in the conservation of important sites for migratory birds along their coasts that receive little or no attention from ongoing conservation initiatives in the region. The decision was reached after a 4-day workshop (November 16-19, 2009) in Dakar Senegal, organized by BirdLife International in collaboration with Wetlands International.

An initiative from Wetlands International Indonesia Programme (WIIP) and IUCN Netherlands has brought all stakeholders of the shrimp value chain together to improve the sustainability of shrimp production in coastal areas in Indonesia. Under the Sustainable Shrimp & Coastal Restoration and Conservation Program (SSCRC) efforts to improve systems in order to meet certification requirements are being combined with restoration of coastal mangrove ecosystems.

Limbe, Cameroon. For the first time in Africa the Flyway Training Kit was put into practice at the first regional Training of Trainers (ToT) course in Limbe, Cameroon. Receiving strong positive feedback, this training kit, developed in the framework of the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) project will be an important tool to build capacity towards the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) meeting this week in Kuala Lumpur has been unable to develop any clear criteria on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This means that there are no credible criteria for sustainable palm oil at this moment. Some hope does exist for the future thanks to the approval of a process to develop better GHG criteria catalysed by the adoption of the resolution from Wetlands International.

While fires rage through the drained and logged peatswamp forests of Indonesia emitting huge amounts of CO2, the UN Climate Talks take place in Bangkok. The coming two weeks country negotiators will work towards a framework for a new climate treaty. This issue of greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands is now explicitly on the agenda of these crucial last negotiation rounds before the Copenhagen Summit.

Monday, 21 September 2009 - The Indonesian government has come forward with figures that confirm that the country is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses; for 80% due to deforestation and peatland loss. Wetlands International, the NGO that has been advocating the need to address peatland degradation strongly welcomes the acknowledgement by the Indonesian government of the issue.

Climate change is now named as the cause of the severe drought in eastern Africa. While this may be true, poor wetland management, especially unsustainable use of water resources, is the root cause of the totally drying up of normally wet areas. This situation currently threatens millions of people in the region and has already caused mass starvation of cattle and wildlife.

Wetlands International is concerned about the plans of the Russian government to support and allow large scale peat mining for energy. Using peat causes much larger carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels, will ruin precious nature and disrupt the hydrology of large areas.

Global NGO Wetlands International has further expanded its reach and impact on conservation, restoration and sustainable use of wetlands. For the fifth consecutive year it has grown in both financial and operational size. This concludes the newly published Annual Review 2008.

All over the world, conflicts between groups of people are arising due to poor planning of wetlands and their water resources. This concludes the global NGO Wetlands International in its report ‘Planting trees to eat fish’ after investigating many wetland sites in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Wetlands International in a coalition of environmental groups (see below) has accused a British company of funding the imminent destruction of a critical area of Indonesian rainforest for palm oil production.

Over thirty civil society organisations join together to avert the effects of biofuel development on food security and sovereignty in African countries. The civil society coalition on biofuels supported by Wetlands International Africa and Action Aid will be officially launched on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at Senegal's USE’s Centre de Bopp in Dakar.

The invasive fish species of Tilapia and Mosquitofish coming from badly constructed fish farms are diminishing native fish species in Fiji. This is the result of a six-year study to 20 catchments on the Pacific islands. ‘Invasive Alien Species’ is today’s International Day for Biological Diversity theme.

More than half the populations of waders in Europe, West Asia and Africa are declining at an accelerating rate. There is a need for better protection of the key wetlands along their flyways, especially in Africa and the Middle East. This is the conclusion of the Wetlands International’s Wader Atlas, the first comprehensive overview of key site networks for waders in Europe, West-Asia and Africa, launched in London today.

In their long journeys each year millions of migratory birds must cross many frontiers and obstacles. Therefore, ’Barriers to Migration’ is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day (9-10 May 2009). The Follow the Bird! initiative of Wetlands International has shown that many birds do not make it back home; decreasing stopover wetland sites, hunters, power lines, and even airplanes cross their paths of thousands of kilometers.

Bonn/Nairobi. In the weekend of 9-10 May 2009), thousands of people around the world take part in World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) events to draw attention to the many man-made obstacles birds face during their migration. The central theme for this year’s World Migratory Bird Day - “Barriers ot Migration” – aims to highlight the effects man-made structures such as wind turbines, communication masts, tall buildings and windows, power lines and fences have on migratory birds.

The Wader Atlas is a milestone publication presenting the current knowledge of the numbers, distribution and movements of waders in the Africa-Western Eurasia region. Built on ten years of study, the Wader Atlas is a beautifully illustrated book, providing maps, trends, and a wealth of detailed information on this remarkable group of birds.

Bonn, Germany. The enormous carbon dioxide emissions from degraded peatlands have finally become an integral part of the UNFCCC agenda. An impressive list of countries have pleaded for inclusion of these so far ignored emissions in national emission accounting in developed countries (Annex I).

A new 3-year project on “Strengthening waterbird and wetland conservation capacities in North Africa (WetCap)” is embarking on its first year of implementation as of this month. Within the framework of this project capacity building activities will take place in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania.

The government of Indonesia took a promising step this week by asking World Bank for support in reducing carbon emissions from forest and peatland loss. However, last month, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree (Indonesian / English translation) to open up peatswamp areas for the development of palm oil plantations.

While in the EU and the RSPO policies are being developed to exclude palmoil from carbon rich soils like peatlands and to prevent the loss of their precious forests, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree to open up peatswamp areas for the development of palmoil plantations.

The largest waterbird congregation site in the Indian subcontinent is the site of a new international study of migratory birds and their role in the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. The study, launched by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and its partners, is the first of its kind in India.

Wetlands International Africa has launched the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Network (BIOMAC) in Guinea Bissau at the 4th Forum of the Regional Coastal and Marine Conservation Programme for West Africa (PRCM). BIOMAC addresses the many challenges facing the West African coast through information sharing, environmental monitoring, rapid reaction systems and capacity building. The mission of BIOMAC is ‘building strategic partnerships to protect our marine and coastal heritage’.

2 February, World Wetlands Day. This year’s theme ‘Upstream-Downstream’ highlights how the world’s wetlands are connected to millions of people whose livelihoods, safety and security depend on them for water supply and their capacity to help regulate floods. Climate change will considerably magnify the problems that ongoing degradation of these river basins will bring to nature and people. Increasing the resilience of these wetlands is therefore a fundamental issue that must be part of climate change adaptation strategies.

Wetlands International signed today the agreement to offset all emissions of flights booked by its headquarters, according to the Gold Standard. The Climate Neutral Group will organise the offsetting programme by investing in alternative energies (wind energy) of an amount equal to the emissions of flying. The ambition of Wetlands International is to expand the compensation to other emissions and other parts of the global organisation as soon as administratively feasible.

The EU Renewable Energy Directive that promotes the use of biofuels, will not recognise feedstocks from carbon rich wetlands as ‘renewables’. It also excludes peat under the ‘renewable energy’ label. This is a significant success, despite the fact that many other precious wetlands and ecosystems are still at risk due to very weak criteria for limiting the impacts of biofuel production on land-use.

Five Manatees have been saved from a near death in the Senegal River by a joined Wetlands International Africa operation. The large mammals – also known as Seacows, although they live in fresh water rivers – were stuck in one of the River Senegal’s arms in Navel in the Matam Region of Senegal.

Wetlands International Headquarters is moving! From 19th of December 2008, the Headquarters will be located at Horapark 9 in Ede, Gelderland Province in The Netherlands. The phone numbers also change. Nevertheless, the P.O. Box address remains the same.

The UN climate summit (UN-FCCC) currently taking place in Poznan is crucial for the question whether the huge emissions from degraded peatlands will finally be addressed. Today however, the working group on the methodologies for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) has decided to only deal with above ground biomass, ignoring carbon rich soils. This decision will therewith so far ignore or even worsen the emissions of 2000 Mt/CO2/yr from peatland loss in developing countries.

Peat is formed over thousands of years. Recovery of peat exploitation is usually irreversible or if it can be reversed, it will take hundreds or even thousands of years to be replenished. Given this evidence, Wetlands International is astonished by the proposal by Finland to consider peat as renewable energy source at the Permanent Representatives Committee of the European Union.

The UN climate summit in Poznan , Poland (1-12 December) is a key opportunity for addressing the huge greenhouse gas emissions from peatland degradation. A team of Wetlands International attends the summit to advocate policies that will address the loss of the worlds peatlands.

This Tuesday (11th Nov.), the world’s first certified palm oil under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) arrives on European shores. This certified palm oil originates from a plantation which has palm oil grown on peatlands. Wetlands International strongly cautions that palm oil cannot be certified "sustainable" as long as the sector refuses to include a criterion on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from land use change, in particular degradation of tropical peatlands.

A new and stunning book was published by Wetlands International on intertidal mudflats of the Yellow Sea, which are under critical threat by unsustainable development. The book offers a wonderful photographic journey that follows the migration of shorebirds flying from their breeding grounds in the Arctic through East Asia to Australia.

Green Coast partners in Aceh (Wetlands International and WWF) have submitted an official request to Aceh Provincial Government to endorse, support and protect the 11 Green Coast demonstration sites after the partners will be phased out Mid 2009.

In the speech on behalf of the International Organising Partners of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP 10) in Korea, Jane Madgwick, CEO of Wetlands International welcomes the steps to increase the status of Ramsar Sites, especially with regard to Lake Natron in Tanzania, the Tana Delta and Lake Naivasha in Kenya. At the same time, there is disappointment about the little progress in addressing water, climate and development policies with a link to wetlands.

Wetlands International advocates chances for the proposed resolutions of this week’s Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Many proposed changes demand attention for the link between wetland loss and climate change and for biofuels.

Wetlands International is present at the intergovernmental Ramsar Convention on Wetlands COP 10 (Oct. 28 - Nov. 4) at Changwon, Korea. The organisation has clear proposals to improve of the decisions on the agenda for this global summit.

This is the Wetlands International Global Newsletter of Oct./Nov. 2008. It is filled with news on wetlands and climate change, migratory birds, international conferences, research, videos and publications.

Wetlands International supports the call of the global company Unilever for a moratorium on deforestation for palm oil. With the call, companies and NGOs dealing with palm oil urge companies to respect this moratorium. The call will also be translated into a resolution for the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (meeting in November 2008).

A study showing declines of 41 per cent of migratory waterbird populations along their main migration routes in Africa and Eurasia is presented to the Fourth Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP4) in Antananarivo, Madagascar this week (15-19 September 2008).

10 September 2008. Tomorrow, the Industry, Research and EnergyCommittee (ITRE) of the European Parliament will vote about the Renewable Energy Directive. Wetlands International calls for a rejection of the 10% target for biofuel use in 2020.

Ten Purple Herons can be monitored from today onwards in their trek to Africa. These herons are equipped with a satellite transmitter, which allows their position to be determined with a ten metre accuracy. The flyway of the Purple Heron can be observed online at: www.vogelbescherming.nl/purperreiger.

September 1, 2008.
The UK think tank Policy Exchange has presented the costs of the most important climate measures. Reducing emissions from tropical peatlands is by far the cheapest way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; using biofuels is by far the most expensive measure.

Surveys by scientists of Wetlands International Oceania, IUCN Oceania and Paris Museum of Natural History in France confirmed that Samoa has a unique and highly threatened freshwater fauna. At least three new records of fish were recorded for Samoa including one (perhaps 2) potential new species to science.

6 August 2008
A delegation of three Korean NGOs visited Wetlands International’s Headquarters in Wageningen at the end of July. Objective of their visit was to highlight the potential impacts of the Grand Canal Project to be built in Korea.

Influenced by a powerful joint NGO lobby, the Members of the Environmental Committee of European Parliament yesterday voted in favour of stronger sustainability criteria and a lower target for biofuels. The proposed 10% biofuel target for 2020 was reduced to a significant lower 4% in 2015 with criteria for ambitious greenhouse gas savings and exclusion of areas like wetlands with high carbon stocks and/or biodiversity values.

In CNN's show 'Business Traveller' the focus is this month on carbon offsetting initiatives worldwide. Wetlands International CEO Jane Madgwick tells about the NGO's recently launched Global Peatland Fund. Click here to watch the show which aired July 12, 13, 17 2008

The planned Bujagali Dam in Uganda violates key social and environmental policies of its major funders: the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank. These new and devastating conclusions have just been presented by a AfDB research panel.

25-06-2008 Press release
Wetlands International is shocked by the decision of the Kenyan government to convert large tracts of the Tana wetlands in Kenya into sugarcane-for-ethanol plantations. This dramatic development confirms the NGO’s recent outlook ‘Biofuels in Africa’, which shows that biofuel production in Africa will lead to loss of wetlands and rainforest.

Bonn, 26 May Africa is expected to produce a relatively small but still substantial part of the global biofuel demand. Millions of hectares will be turned into large scale biofuel plantations. This will hardly take place in current agricultural areas. Especially natural areas of wetlands and rainforest – the hotspots for biodiversity - are vulnerable for this development.

The conservation and restoration of ecosystems, in particular wetlands, could be one of the most cost-effective strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Wetlands can reduce the negative effects of sea level rise, extreme weather like heavy rainfall, increased temperatures, severe storms and related phenomena such as melting glaciers, prolonged droughts and increased floods. Today Wetlands International will present facts and its views on adaptation at the CBD in Bonn.

The project is working to enhance the conservation of waterbirds and the wetlands they depend on in the African Eurasian region. For this we train people, conduct demonstration projects, develop webb...

Wetlands International on behalf of the WPRP African Training Board announces the call for applications for the 2008 training courses focusing on a modular system of training. These training courses are part of a series of training courses being supported by the WPRP. The main modules were developed in collaboration with various partners such as Wageningen International, UNESCO-IHE, Oxfam America, Kenya Wildlife Service Institute, Foundation for Sustainable Development, Ghana Environmental Protection Agency, Uganda Wetlands Inspection Division and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre through a series of stakeholder consultations and have further undergone processes to ensure their relevance to local contexts.

Furthermore this service to people is often over-exploited, resulting in degradation.Wetlands International calls for wider attention of the role wetlands ecosystems play for water and sanitation. A world facing extreme rainfall followed by droughts from climate change cannot survive without healthy wetlands.

Wetlands International played a very active role in trying to influence the outcomes of the Bali Climate Conference (UN-FCCC COP 13). Our organisation was present with a professional team from various offices. This has led to some successes.

A report of UNDP showed that Malaysia's carbon emissions grew by 221 percent from 1990 to 2004, the largest growth in emissions among the top 30 emitters. Malaysia is ranked 26th on a global league table of emitters. Studies by Wetlands International and its partners have indicated that emissions from degraded peatlands alone in Malaysia are remarkably high, around 100 million tonnes annually.

Results from the first comprehensive global assessment on the links between peatland degradation and climate change presented today show that clearance, drainage and fires in peatlands emit more than 3 billion tones of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to 10% of global emissions from fossil fuels. Protection and restoration of peatlands are among the most cost- effective options for climate change mitigation.

Indonesia takes, with 2000 million tonnes CO2 emissions per year from degraded peat, the largest share of the global peat emissions; it is a huge problem, but also very concentrated, involving around 13 million hectares. The cost-effectiveness of restoring these degraded areas is very high. Emissions in many of these peatlands are around hundred tonnes per hectare per year.

The Kyoto rules for accounting emissions make a rigid distinction between fossil and non-fossil fuels. Non-fossil fuels are assumed to have by definition zero greenhouse gas emissions. This assumption ignores that there are other emissions than fossil fuel emissions that add to the greenhouse gas balance in the atmosphere. Thus, these Kyoto accounting rules provide a huge incentive for the use of biomass in Annex 1 countries.

In his role as the Honorary President of Wetlands International, Raymond C. Offenheiser will support the organisation as a whole by representing them and providing advice and guidance on key policy and strategic issues. In particular, he will guide the organisation’s partnership approach with the development sector in its work connecting wetlands and livelihoods in developing countries. Mr. Offenheiser will participate as an observer in the organisations’ governance structures and play a role in representing the wider Wetlands international family of staff, members and partners.

Wednesday 5 December (10.00-10:30) Presentation to the press:
NGO press room ‘wind’ in the Grand Hyatt, Nusa Dua, BaliNew figures about the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by palm oil production in South-east Asia. Presentation of the need to change the Kyoto greenhouse gas accounting rules to include these emissions.

Adopted at the recent 5th Roundtable on Sustainable Development (RT5), the RSPO P&C is a significant milestone for the multi-national and multi-stakeholder group. Established in 2003 to develop certified sustainable palm oil, the recently adopted RSPO P&C has established clear guidelines on best management practices for the industry that minimizes negative impact to the environment. In addition the RSPO P&C ensures protection of high conservation value forests, and rights to land tenure are protected.

The Symposium was opened by Shaoxing Party Secretary Wang Yongchang, Deputy Administrator of the State Forestry Administration of China, the Chief Planner of the Ministry of Construction of China, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation in Mali Abdoulaye Berthe, the Mayor of Shaoxing Municipal People’s Government Zhang Jinru and Wetlands International’s CEO Jane Madgwick.
Participants at the Symposium urged governments, development, health and conservation agencies involved in wetland management, to take action to improve the health of all people, in harmony with wetland conservation objectives; and committed themselves to the same aim.

The current disaster took place in an area not far from Ramsar Convention Wetlands of International Importance in the Kuban Delta (Russia) and Eastern Sivash (Ukraine). Nearby there are 5 more Ramsar sites along the Ukrainian Sea of Azov coast all of which are very important for wintering, migratory and breeding waterbirds.

The first such workshop was held in Kenya in January 2007, the third is planned for Mali in October 2008. These workshops enable people working on the balance between wetland conservation and livelihood development all over the world to build partnerships and share experiences.

22 October 2007. he Dutch minister Ms. J. Cramer has decided to exclude palm oil for two years from all subsidies that other green energies will receive. The reasons for this exclusion are the doubts and questions regarding the sustainability of palm oil. The devastating impact of palm oil plantations on the valuable peatswamp forests of Indonesia was highlighted.